The Reluctant Trainer
by milkandpanda
Summary: Kriss always thought of Pokemon training as a waste of time. But when she is forced out on her own adventure, she must come face to face with her assumptions and her past. Join Kriss and her team of misfit pokemon as they travel across the original Cora region on the quest to get all 8 badges and return home.
1. Chapter 1

_The amazing world of Pokemon! The dream of every young child is to explore this world. With their dreams sparkling in the eyes, and Pokeballs clipped to their belts, they set out to make lifelong friends, experience great adventure and become Masters! All starting the day they turn 10 years old. What are you waiting for? Come on down and choose your starter pokemon no…_

The commercial was suddenly cut short by a quick pop and a black screen. _"Yeah, right."_ Kriss thought, rolling her eyes, finger still holding down the remote control's power button.

"Kriss! I was listening to that!" A woman's voice called from the kitchen.

"Mom, it was just an ad." Kriss replied. She tossed the remote onto the couch cushion beside her, and rounded the corner. Her mom was standing behind the kitchen counter. She fidgeted with the red kitchen towel in her hands, and looked at Kriss with a thin smile. Anybody else who saw the woman standing there would've seen nothing but a worried mother but Kriss could feel the blunt edge in her mom's gaze. _"Here it comes…"_

"Did you hear what the man on the T.V. said?" Kriss' mom asked, "about choosing a starter pokemon?"

"Mom…"

"Maybe you should go down there, Kriss. You could catch up to your friends and.."

"No." Kriss said adamantly. " I don't want to."

"Kriss! You're already 14! All your peers have already left! How long before you're ready?" Kriss' mom's voice turned sharp as she spoke. " At some point you're just going to have to go out there and get started!"

" I _am _ready," Kriss protested, " I just don't want to!"

"Are you scared? Is that it? If you choose a strong pokemon you won't even have to worry. Something like a Charmander or…" Kriss turned her back, cutting her mother short.

"I'm going out." she said, keeping her voice calm. It was no use talking to her mother when she got this way.

"Don't walk out on your mother, young lady!" The mother called out, but Kriss had already grabbed her Old Rod and swung the door shut behind her. She paused for a second, just outside the door, to take a deep breath. Her lungs were filled with the chill air blowing off the river that ran through the town. She tasted it's sweet freshness, and let it fill up her chest before slowly releasing it.

"_There's no use getting mad." _ She thought as she walked to her favorite fishing spot. A bend in the river, rarely visited by the local children and fishermen. The water here was a clean blue and cool even in the middle of the hot summer. It had been Kriss' hiding spot since she was a tiny child. The sun warmed the top of her head as she cast her line into the water. If she was lucky, she would catch something small she could fry up and eat, maybe not have to go home until after dinner. The thought comforted her and she settled down in the long grass, waiting for a bite.

"_What's everybody's obsession with Pokemon adventures anyway?" _She thought, staring mindlessly into the water. It wasn't like the cheap badges would help those kids get jobs. It was all a distraction from real life. Kids spending years chasing ridiculous dreams for no real reason. If Kriss wanted to waste time like that, she was more than happy doing it with her fishing rod, relaxing in the sun.

A sudden tug on the line yanked Kriss away from her thoughts. She sprung into action, braced herself and began to reel. The fish tried to struggle, but was no match against Kriss' experienced hands. After about a minute of fighting, she gave the pole on last yank, and a red blur jumped out of the water and dangled from the hook of the rod above the surface.

"Really?" Kriss said flatly, staring at her catch. The pokemon's only reply was a deep " _'Karp_".

She sighed, magikarps made for a terrible dinner, they were dirty fish that always tasted like mud. She decided that she would much rather face her mother again instead of trying to gut the magikarp through it's hard red scales. She prepared to throw the fish back in when it started to thrash about, repeating a panicked "_'karp, 'karp, 'karp". _Suddenly, a huge pidgeotto flew just over her head, blowing her short brown hair into her face, and scooped a magikarp that had wandered too close to the surface up in it's huge talons. Kriss looked behind her to see another pidgeotto poised to strike. It's beady eyes fixed on the magikarp at the end of her line.

The fish pokemon looked at her with it's large, unfocused eyes. Almost like it was pleading for help. She stared back at it, her sharp green eyes filled with focus. Usually she would happily let the birds eat, but something here kept her from doing it. To hand over the magikarp felt intensely immoral. _"I guess it is kinda….cute?" _She thought, examining it's thick, gaping lips, and the crown shaped fins on its head. _"Okay, not really. Still, some kid would probably take it from me though, right?_" Her time to deliberate was cut short by a loud screech behind her. The pidgeotto took off and dove for the magikarp. Kriss quickly yanked the rod, bringing the fish closer to her, and grabbed it with both arms, holding it to her chest. The pidgeotto, startled by the sudden movements, took off back to it's roost, screeching and cawing.

She watched the bird disappear from sight then loosened her grip. She looked down to discover the front of her shirt completely wet. "Ew!" she exclaimed. She immediately stood up. She grabbed the magikarp's tail and dangled it in front of her face. "Look what you've done! Now, I've gotta change, before I can find somebody to pawn you off on." She grumbled. The magikarp replied with a confused sounding " _'karp?_".

"Sorry, I don't speak idiot." Kriss said, tucking the fish beneath her arm. " You better be thanking me." She started to walk back home to the fish's happy cry, "_ Magi!_".


	2. Chapter 2

Kriss was greeted by her mother's unimposing figure as soon as she crossed the threshold into their quaint house. There was a moment of silence as both stood frozen in front of each other. Kriss followed her mother's gaze into her arms and suddenly remembered what she was carrying.

"This isn't what you think!" Kriss began, but she could tell by the grin slowly growing across her mother's face that she was too late.

"Oh, Kris! I'm so proud of you!" Her mom exclaimed. She pulled her daughter into a tight hug. The magikarp gave a startled protest at being jostled around. Kriss quickly pushed back against her mom, now standing arm's length away. Her mom's hands still rested on her shoulders, and she brought her face close while she talked. "Sure, your choice in starter is a little unconventional, but it doesn't matter, you still can…"

"Mom!" Krissa exclaimed, taking a step back from her mother's reach. " It's not my starter, it's just a random Magikarp I caught." The mother blinked in confusion for a second before tilting her head to the side and chuckling softly.

"Don't tease your mother like that." She said, her large smile just a hair thinner.

"I'm not teasing. I was gonna give it to one of the kids in town."

Her smile disappeared into a look of slack-jawed shock.

"How could you be so rude?"

"I know it's not the strongest pokemon, but I'm sure they'd still be happy with it…"

"No, how could you be so rude to _me?_"

"What?"

Kriss' mom threw her arms up into the air. Her voice became shrill and angry.

" You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You just like to play with your mother's feelings?" She shouted, pacing in circles.

"That's not true!" Kriss protested, but she was wholly ignored.

" Do you know how much time I spend worrying over you? Every night I lie awake hoping that you'd leave like a normal kid." Kriss had heard this tirade many times, but something about the way her mother paced around the room was frightening this time. There was a strange desperation hidden under her angry remarks. " Maybe I was too soft on you; I knew I should've listened to your father."

"Dad has nothing to do with this." Kriss found herself shouting back without thinking. Her mother stopped for a second, surprised at the sudden emotional outburst from the girl who usually appeared so cool and unbothered. Her eyes narrowed as she shifted an intense focus onto her daughter.

"Well, I'm done coddling you now." She said with an icy resolve. " You are taking that magikarp and going on a fantastic adventure, and you are going to like it!"

"What? Mom!" Kriss said. _"How could she even enforce something like that?". _As if answering her thoughts, her mother said,

"You will not step another foot inside this house until you've collected yourself some badges." Kriss planted her feet and fought against her mother's hands as she pushed her back towards the door, but Kriss was still smaller than her mom and soon found herself standing on the porch, looking in.

"Mom, wait!" She cried out.

"This is for your own good." was the only reply, before the door was closed in her face.

"_Did I just get kicked out?" _She thought, still standing frozen in front of the heavy wooden door. She ignored the prickling behind her eyes and the tightness in her chest. She let out a growl of frustration when a warm drop of salty water rolled down her cheek anyway. She suddenly became aware of a cold sensation at her side. She looked down to see the magikarp that she had completely forgotten about pressing itself closer to her body. She angrily wiped her tears and held the magikarp in front of her face with both hands.

"I'm not doing it." She said aloud. The magikarp stared blankly in reply. " I'm taking you back to where I found you, and then I'm going to get a real job and live on my own. " She confirmed her resolve with a quick nod before setting off back toward the river. Once there, she dropped to her knees in the long grass by the riverside. She held the fish above the water. It squirmed gently in her hands, but made no attempt to escape.

She didn't know if it was the sunset painting the atmosphere in melancholy, or something in the magikarp's usually listless gaze, but she felt a twinge of sadness inside her chest. It caused her to linger, staring intently at the magikarp as she had done before. The air was silent around them except for the soft murmuring of the river below. A slight crisp chill blew through the air. The first signs of night. She couldn't be sure but, it felt like it was returning her gaze. Suddenly a voice pierced through the quiet.

"Hey, Kriss! Is that _your _pokemon?" Kriss rolled her eyes at the voice knowing full well who it belonged to.

"And if it is, Rory?" She said, turning slowly to meet his eyes. Rory had always been a bully. Just a year Kriss' senior, he took great pleasure in tormenting anybody he could get close too. He had worn his blond hair in the same short cut, ill fitting to his round face, for as long as Kriss could remember.

"Seriously? You choose that one?" Rory laughed loudly. " Are you an actual idiot? that's probably the weakest pokemon in all the world!"

" I didn't choose it, but how do you know it's weak?"

"What do you mean?" Rory growled, stepping closer.

"I mean, this fish is probably the strongest pokemon ever, but you just don't know it because he doesn't like to fight much." Kriss said, rising to her feet and tucking the pokemon underneath her arm again.

" Hah! You think that thing's stronger than my embroar?" He puffed out his chest while he spoke. It didn't do much for his already round figure. " How about we put that to the test?"

" I didn't say that." Kriss said calmly. She tried to push her way past Rory, but he stuck a thick arm out, blocking her path.

"Come on. You know the rules. It's bad form to turn down a challenge."

That was another thing that Kriss could not stand about pokemon trainers. Every single one of them had an obsession with this form of manufactured competitiveness. Even the boy standing in front of her, who had long given up on his own travels, refused to relent until he was given the satisfaction of winning.

" Move, Rory." Kriss began to speak but suddenly the magikarp slipped out of her arms and flopped helplessly on the ground. The dirt beneath changed to wet mud.

" Look, it wants to fight!" Rory said, laughing and pointing at the pathetic display.

" Is that what that is?" Kriss said, one eyebrow cocked. She felt cornered. It seemed the only way to move past all this was to let Rory have what he wanted. " Fine," she sighed. "Let's get this over with. " She moved back to face Rory from a distance, standing behind her pokemon like she'd seen the champions on her mother's show do. Rory took a Pokeball of his belt with a small click and held it up in front of his smirking face.

"Embroar, Go!" He shouted. Kriss fought the urge to cover her ears. He tossed the ball into a high arc. As it reached it's peak, the ball opened along the middle with a bright light. The light then begun to take the shape of a huge orange and black pig, standing on two legs. Flames roared around it's head, heating the pokemon's two large tusks.

" _Em'roaaar!_" The pokemon yelled it's battle cry. Rory looked up at Kriss expectantly, somehow even more condescending. Kriss stood confused for a second, looking from the literal fire demon to the fish on dry land in front of her.

" Uh, do something, Magikarp." She said halfheartedly. The fish tensed up at her command, as if they were connected by a synapse that just fired. It started to flop wildly, sometimes reaching a height of a few inches. It did this for a couple seconds before it landed with a thud and became still. Its sides were heaving with the exertion. Kriss stared at it in disbelief. _"That's it?"_

Rory laughed loudly. Crossing his arms and throwing his head back. He snapped back to attention with a malicious light in his eyes.

"Embroar, Arm thrust!" The embroar slowly moved to stand above the magikarp. It pulled its beefy arm back before driving it down into the weaker pokemon. Then it did it again, and again. Kriss cringed at each punch.

" Stop! You win!" Kriss called. Rory grinned wickedly.

" Embroar, return." The large pokemon changed back into the shimmering light and returned to the Pokeball in Rory's outstretched arm. "See? What'd I tell you? Utterly worthless."

Kriss dropped to her knees beside the magikarp and gently picked it up in her arms. Although the pokemon was unconscious, it would still twitch its tail, as if it was dreaming. She was surprised to see that it looked like Magikarp had sustained no major injuries. Rory's boots appeared at the corner of her vision, kicking up dirt into her eyes.

" Stop crying, you wuss. Put it in a Pokeball like a normal person already." He threw a red and white ball down by her knees. " Even though it sucks, that magikarp is pretty fitting for you. After all, a slow girl should have a slow pokemon." With that final jab he walked away, chuckling to himself.

" _A slow pokemon…" _ Kriss thought. She remembered the gaze they had shared. She couldn't put her finger on why, but it definitely felt like there was intelligence in that moment. There was a burning in her chest she hadn't felt for a long time.

"You know what?" She said, standing to her feet and lifting Magikarp to her eyes, " I feel like proving some people wrong."


	3. Chapter 3

Kriss bounced from one foot to the other, trying to adjust her belt. She still wasn't used to the feeling of the pokeball against her leg, despite spending all day shopping for supplies in the getup. Those same supplies were the ones making her backpack weigh down on her shoulder. She fidgeted uncomfortably before giving in with a sigh. Instead, she surveyed the forest path in front of her. As soon as she stepped into the tunnel of bright green before her, she would be leaving her sleepy little town for the first time that she could remember. Maybe even for the first time ever.

"_Stay on the path, get to Lierna Town, beat the gym. The faster you get this over with, the faster you can get home." _She reminded herself. A strong breeze blew into her face, pushing her bangs back. It brought a fresh, earthy smell to her nose. Taking it as a sign, she breathed it in, letting it fill her chest and savoring it's flavor, before she took her first determined step into the forest.

She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting as she walked over the dirt path. Maybe fanfare of some sort. Some kind of grand indication that this was 'the moment.' But instead, she felt surprisingly normal. No rising excitement, exuberant joy or anxiety skimmed her mind. It was no different from the walk to her river. Even the smell of the nature around her was the same. She had to admit, though, that the scenery here was much better. She was flanked on both sides by wall of trees. Their trunks tall and healthy. Thin leaves, dislodged by the slight wind, spiraled lazily towards the ground, covering the path with a green mulch carpet. The path had thinned out considerably. It was the only the thing dividing Kriss from the nature around her and the creatures that hid within it.

Suddenly, the sound of human voices cut through the peace. It was a young voice. It's owner sounded frustrated. Kriss rolled her eyes, trainers had a habit of destroying otherwise beautiful places like that. She picked up the pace, hoping to get out of earshot quickly, when she heard what sounded like a cry of pain. This time not human. She turned towards the bush where the sounds were coming from. _"Stay on the path, it's none of your business" _She reminded herself, but it was clear now that something was definitely in pain. If that kid was harming wildlife, and she could stop it, shouldn't she try? She sighed heavily and stepped off the path. The long grass tickled at her ankles. She tried not to think of all the little pokemon living inside of it as she made her way towards the noise. Finally she came across a small clearing. Sitting in the middle was a young trainer. Kriss determined that he had to only be just barely older than 10. He held a metapod in both hands tightly, trying to pull apart it's thick shell. The metapod thrashed as much as it could, being a chrysalis. Kriss could tell that the high pitched noises of distress were coming from somewhere inside it's green outer shell.

"C'mon you stupid bug," The boy said under his breath, "just evolve already."

"Hey! What are you doing!?" Kriss yelled, stepping out from the tree line. The boy looked up surprised, letting the metapod rock down onto the ground.

"Who are you?" He sneered, his voice nasally.

" The person who's going to track down your mom and tell her that her son is bullying pokemon, unless you give me a good reason for what you're doing to that metapod."

The boy stood up and lifted the metapod partway with his toe, as if it was something gross that he didn't want to touch.

"The stupid thing won't evolve! Bugs are 'upposed to evolve fast, but I've been training all day and he's still just sittin' there!" With that, he shoved the pokemon forward with his foot and watched as it rolled helplessly across the grass.

"Cut it out, or I'm going to take it from you."

"You want it?" The boy looked up quickly suddenly eager. "I'll trade ya for it."

"What? No. I never said that." Kriss said flatly. The boy pouted and sat back down with his back to her.

" Fine, I'll just find some way to evolve this idiot by myself then." He started to pull at the metapod again.

"Stop that! It doesn't work that way." Kriss said, grabbing the boy's arm. The boy looked back at her smugly.

"It's _my _pokemon, I'll do what I want."

"Fine, let's trade." Kriss sighed.

"Seriously?" The boy said, his eyes shining with excitement. " I've never traded before!" Kriss had to hide her annoyance. How could a trainer be so eager to swap pokemon around like they were trading cards and not living beings?

"Sure, what do you want?"

"A butterfree, duh!" The boy exclaimed, jumping to his feet. " I know there are some here, I've seen 'em, but I'm not big enough to catch one…"

Kriss stumbled backwards." You don't want, like, a rattata or something?"

"Why would I want one of those? Everybody's got one." The boy said while scrunching his nose. " Look, my name's Samuel. If you get me my butterfree come and find me in Lierna."

He called the metapod back into a pokeball, and ran off into the trees.

" Be fast, 'Kay?" He yelled behind him. He was gone before Kriss could protest.

"_There's no way I'm going out of my way to catch some brat a butterfree." _She thought. The metapod's pained eyes wouldn't leave her mind as she walked, though. She found herself fretting against her will about what could happen to it if that kid damaged its shell.

"Arggh, fine!" She exclaimed out loud. She stomped her way into the forest once more, clumsily shoving aside thin branches. _" How am I always pulled into these things?"_


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was dimming as it sank down the sky. And the bits of blue visible through the canopy of leaves were slowly turning orange and pink. Kriss stood in a patch of long weeds, ignoring the scratches they left on her legs. How long had she been searching without even a sign of butterfree? The air was starting to turn cold, the once welcoming shade of the forest turned against her. A gust of wind blew past her forcing her to hug herself as a shield against the sudden cold.

"_What if that kid was pulling some kind of prank?" _She thought. She wouldn't put it past him, the kind of trainer he seemed to be. An embarrassed heat rose through her, in sharp contrast with the evening air. _"I let myself get lost out here for a stupid prank?" _She turned, frustrated, in the direction that she thought the path might be. If she hurried, she might be able to get somewhere familiar before it got dark. She hadn't even taken a step when another strong gust of wind hit her in the face. She froze, something about that wind bothered her. Didn't the last gust come from the opposite direction? She closed her eyes and felt the breeze tugging at her hair. The wind was definitely blowing in from somewhere in front of her, so where did the breeze behind her come from? She turned back around and stared into the mass of deep green, tinged orange by the setting sun and listened. Daring not to even breathe. As if in response to her pounding heart, a high, lilting call drifted to Kriss' ears. _"No way…."_

She crouched low, letting the weeds prick at her cheeks. If that was what she hoped it was, she couldn't afford to scare it off. She moved slowly through the grass, praying that no hidden sticks found their way under her tennis shoes. The forest around her was growing dimmer. As the sun's light became blocked out, small ethereal lights started to twinkle around her. Some from tiny bug pokemon and others from strange plants that Kriss couldn't identify. They sparkled in muted oranges and blues as she continued on. Soon, she found herself at the base of a large tree, it's girth overshadowed any other plant in the forest, and it's strong limbs reached out in twisted labyrinths. She stared up at it, frozen. There, illuminated by a stray beam of orange evening light were two large butterflies. Each one bigger than Kriss' face. She could clearly make out their white-as-clouds wings against the tree's dark green leaves. Their high pitched calls almost sounded like children's laughter as they darted around each other, sending gusts of wind with their powerful, yet delicate, wings.

"Gotcha." Kriss whispered as she slowly, soundlessly straightened her legs. She unclipped the pokeball from her belt with slow fingers. It still felt weird in the palm of her hand, as if it was a glove that didn't fit quite right. "Alright, Magikarp, here's your chance." She said softly, gingerly placing the ball on the ground in front of her feet. The butterfree suddenly stopped their game and watched as Magikarp shimmered into existence. It appeared one on side, mouth wide open, exactly what you would expect a fish out of water to look like. The butterfree's chittering call started up again, but this time Kriss couldn't help but feel like it was aimed at her. "Okay, get them." Kriss said, gesturing towards the pokemon in the tree. The magikarp looked at her with it's upwards facing eye. Kriss could see the energy building in it's little body. Then, it hopped up into the air.

And immediately fell down again. It throw itself up and down over and over, writhing and squirming. Somehow managing to splash up water where there was none. The butterfree grew louder. One of them flew over the magikarp helpless on the ground. It flew in small circles over the pokemon, releasing a sparkling powder from it's wings. As the powder settled onto Magikarp's scales, it's movements became slower until finally, it stopped moving at all. Kriss crouched down and poked at it.

"Are you...asleep?" She said. The magikarp ,glassy eye still wide open, only shifted in reply. The butterfree resumed their noises, the one still overhead made motions to leave. "Hey! Wait!" Kriss cried. She quickly stood up and grabbed at the magikarp, catching it by it's round foot. "Just let me catch you." The butterfree looked down at her with it's large red eyes. Every honeycomb shaped section within them poured out annoyance.

"'_Freee" _ The pokemon called out, twisting it's foot free and pumping it's wings towards Kriss. The gust was strong enough to send her sprawling onto her butt as the butterfree flew deeper into the forest. She blinked and stared after it, she hadn't expected a little pokemon to be so strong. She shot up again, grabbing Magikarp's pokeball. She still needed to catch it. She ran after the butterfree, returning Magikarp as she passed by it. The butterfree were fast. Fast enough that she couldn't see them as they raced. But she could see traces of them. Sparkling powder decorating leaves, a high pitched voice along the same path. They gave Kriss confidence that she was heading the right direction.

Finally , she burst through a hedge into an overgrown clearing. She couldn't tell if it was because of the density of the forest, or because the sun had finally finished setting, but her eyes strained to see in the dark green. Some flat stones peeked out of the weeds. Laying on the stones, their wings spread flat over their bodies like shimmering blankets, was a hoard of butterfree. Breathing heavy, Kriss dug around in her backpack. Her hand found the smooth plastic of an empty pokeball. Pokeball in hand, she tiptoed over to the nearest butterfree. The tall, slightly wet grass dampened her footsteps until she was standing directly over the sleeping pokemon. "Come on." she whispered, lowering the ball right next to the butterfree's face. It's eyes snapped open, " _'Freeee!_" it cried, waking all the other butterfree. The air was filled with the sound of flapping rings and frantic cries as butterfree scattered in all directions. They all made their way out of the clearing, hiding in the dense treeline. Kriss saw her butterfly start to rise with small flaps of it's wings.

"Oh no you don't" Kriss said, throwing herself at the butterfly. She wrapped her arms around it and held it tight. She raised the pokeball up to it's head. " Just. get. In. your. Home." She said, through grit teeth, struggling to keep a hold on the pokemon.

" '_Terfree_" the butterfree yelled, fear clear in it's voice. Kriss loosened her grip. What was she doing? This way was no better than an irresponsible trainer's.

" I'm sorry." She said, dejected. The butterfree squirmed its way out of her relaxed arms. " I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to go with that snot nose either." She held her hands softly in her lap, head hung from the shame of ignoring her own morals. The butterfree took to the air without a sound. A sudden 'thump' drew Kriss' attention. The butterfree was on the ground, trying to get airborne again. It got only a couple feet of the ground before plummeting back down again. It cried out in frustrated pain.

Kriss ran over and crouched near the injured pokemon. She reached out with shaking hands and gently spread the butterfree's wings. There was a long tear from the outside tip of the white wing all the way down to the middle.

" This is my fault, isn't it?" She said, quietly. The butterfree grew still, sensitive to the strain in her voice. " I'm sorry, I'm going to make this right." She scooped the butterfree up into her arms, cradling it like a newborn baby. The butterfree protested, kicking and flapping its wings. " Chill out, I'm just gonna take you to the poke center. Then you can do whatever you want." The butterfree stopped and looked up into Kriss' face. There was a strange mischievousness reflected in it's eyes. Kriss wobbled backwards as the pokemon flung itself onto her chest and climbed up onto her shoulder. It looked down at her with a haughty expression, as if saying " You want to make this right? I'd like to see you try."


	5. Chapter 5

Kriss finally burst through some tall brush and onto the path. Or at least what she thought was the path, it was really too dark to tell. But the ground felt more stable here, and there were no branches grabbing at her hair and clothes. The butterfree hadn't left her shoulder the entire time. Kriss had to shove herself into trees and bushes so that it wouldn't get its already injured wings stuck on low-hanging branches or pricked by thorns. Her arms and legs stung all over with shallow scratches. The butterfree sat unfazed, looking down at her. It's mouth turned up, revealing it's tiny fangs. Was that a smirk?

Kriss ignored it and continued on in what seemed like the right direction, her only guide the full moon peeking through the tree tops. "_Looks like a tortilla…" _she thought, staring up at it. As if on cue, a low rumble came from her stomach. She suddenly became aware of her hunger. When was the last time she ate? Just before she left town she supposed.

"Okay, break time." She declared out loud. She dropped like a stone, sitting cross-legged. If her legs could speak, they'd be singing for joy. The butterfree half fluttered, half fell from her shoulder and stood in front of her. She ignored the pointed look of annoyance on its face, as she rummaged through her backpack. Finally she pulled out half a sandwich, cut into a neat triangle, out of her pack. She didn't know if night pokemon would be attracted to the smell of white bread and deli meat, but she was careful not to make too much noise unwrapping the plastic wrap anyway. Mouth watering, she lifted the sandwich to her face before feeling a light tap on her leg. She lowered her meal to see the butterfree looking up expectantly at her, it's eyes watered and shone in the moonlight. "Are you hungry too?" Kriss asked. She tore a bit of meat from the sandwich and held it out. "Here, you can have this." The butterfree looked up at her for a second, before smiling widely, it's white fangs flashed. It jumped, flapping it's wings. Kriss threw her hand over her eyes to protect them from the stirred up dirt. When she opened her eyes again, she notices that her other hand was empty. The butterfree sat at a distance, thoroughly enjoying Kriss' sandwich. It made shrill lilting noises. "Hey!" Kriss said, but the butterfree only chuckled louder. Her stomach burbled angrily in reply. She watched in vain as the butterfree finished her lunch, and then scooped it up. "_Just another reason to get to town quickly." _She thought, setting the contented butterfree on her shoulder.

After riding on Kriss for a while, the butterfree decided it would rather enjoy the night time views from the ground. It flapped it's wings, striking the back of Kriss' head. "What?" Kriss asked annoyed. It flapped it's wings some more, short flaps this time, and cocked it's head toward the ground. Kriss lifted it off her shoulder and placed it carefully on the dirt. She thought she would have to slow down for it to keep up, but it's round little feet were surprisingly quick. It kept up to her brisk pace with no problems. Just when Kriss was starting to think that the pale moonlight on the barks of the trees was kinda pretty, the butterfree dashed in front of her feet. Kriss tried to stop, but it was too abrupt. She twisted her planted foot and gave an awkward hop in an attempt to not step on the fragile bug. She fell hard on her side. Disturbed dust settled back on her face. She could taste it's dryness in her mouth. The butterfree hopped onto her back giggling.

"Come on, you did that on purpose." Kriss said, shooing the butterfly off of her and sitting up. "Listen, if you want to get there quickly, you've gotta cut it out." The butterfree only looked up at her slyly in reply. Kriss sighed and stood back up, having no choice but to press on. As the long night progressed, the butterfree continued to play it's cruel pranks. Running into her legs, and tripping her, blowing dust into her eyes, and even hiding in the bushes and jumping out a ways later, it's white wings standing out in the darkness like a ghost. She was relieved when they finally came across a place where the forest thinned and a wooden sign standing by the path. It read " Aurua Town, this way."

"We're almost there!" She said excited. She plopped the butterfree on her shoulder again. It flapped its wings in protest, but didn't move from the perch. Driven by hunger and frustration, she sped up until she was skirting the line between fast walking and full on running. When she burst out of the forest, the sun was just barely beginning to rise over the tops of the trees, bathing everything before her in soft pinks and oranges. She surveyed the town before walking in, searching for signs of a Pokecenter. She couldn't wait to get that mischievous butterfree out of her hair. The place almost seemed more forest than town. Tall trees grew wherever they please. Intertwining with homely buildings and public centers. Despite the early morning, small pokemon were already running up and down the thick branches, calling to each other from across the town. The Pokecenter sat between two gnarled trees. Their branches grew in a semicircle around the building, like a natural lattice of intricate leaves and twigs. The red roof clashed harshly with the nature around it. The doors slid open easily for Kriss as she made her way in.

It was mostly empty inside, save for a few older trainers sitting on the plastic benches. They chatted amicably, as if hospitalizing their pokemon was a common occurrence for them. Kriss rolled her eyes and trudged up to the front desk and placed the butterfree in front of the nurse. It jumped a little from the cold of the counter. The nurse blinked confused for a second.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yeah, sorry, I think it's wing is hurt." The nurse nodded and slowly spread the butterfree's wings.

"Let's have a look." The pokemon shifted uncomfortably as she examined it. "Yep! There's an itty bitty tear here." She said, pointing at the huge gash across the surface of it's wing. "It's a fairly common occurrence actually, especially for young butterfree like this one. Will have your partner all healed up in a jiffy."

"It's not my-" Kriss began, but the nurse had already whisked the butterfree away through the swinging back door. She sighed and found an empty space on the hard seats, as far as possible from the other trainers. "_Almost done," _she thought. "_Just a little while longer, and I'll be rid of that trickster forever." _Just a few moments later, the front doors slid open with a soft _swish. _A boy burst through them, already full of energy so early in the morning. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds peering around the room. He locked eyes with Kriss and a huge grin spread across his face. "_Oh, shoot!" _Kriss thought, recognizing his messy hair. She had completely forgotten that he told her he'd be waiting at this Pokecenter. He ran over, excitement leaking from his expression.

"Do you have it!" He asked loudly, seating himself next to her.

"Um, well," Kriss began. She couldn't in good confidence hand over the already injured pokemon. And yet, no convincing excuse came to mind. Maybe she could lie? The dilemma was solved for her as the back door swung inward.

"There we go! All healed up!" The nurse proclaimed as she walked back through, butterfree in arms. The boy shot up.

"You do!" He shouted excitedly, but stayed put. He stared at a point in the nurse's path, a sly grin on his face. Suddenly, the nurse yelped in surprise, throwing the butterfree up into the air. It unfurled it's newly healed wings and hovered in the air next to her. The nurse bent down to examine what she stepped on and came back up holding a bent thumbtack. The butterfree, upon seeing what was in her hand, throw itself back with it's high pitched laughter. The boy ran over to the nurse, laughing cruelly as well. " I got you!" He shouted "You fell right into my trap!" The butterfree looked down at the boy interested. It flew in front of his face, capturing his interest. Then, it turned around, and flew above the group of trainers talking. It released it's fine dust over a boy, engrossed in telling his story. The boy laughed and clapped as the trainer fell asleep mid-sentence. The butterfree flew back, landing gracefully on his head.

"You're great! We're gonna be partners in crime!" The boy exclaimed.

" '_freeee." _The butterfree responded happily. The boy, with the pokemon still in his head, dashed toward the door.

"Oh, right!" He said, suddenly stopping. " Here! It's yours. " He tossed a pokeball at Kriss before disappearing through the doors. Kriss scrambled to catch the ball, almost falling over. Once it was safely nestled in her hands she studied it. _"I'm not sure how, but I guess I caught my second pokemon." _She thought. For some reason, she could feel a faint excitement rising through her body. She shoved it back down. _"I can't relax. Next stop is the Aurua town gym!"_


End file.
